Tigers

It's a new season in the Southeastern Conference. The league officially welcomed two new members - Missouri and Texas A&M - last Sunday, expanding the conference from 12 to 14 teams. It marks the first time the league has added two new members since Arkansas and South Carolina joined the conference in 1992. Missouri makes its move from the Big 12 into a steady league that features traditional football powerhouses Alabama, Florida, LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, Georgia and South¿Carolina.

The last time LSU ventured into Rupp Arena, the Tigers dealt Kentucky a stunning 73-70 setback two years ago. Since then, the 13th-ranked Wildcats (13-3) have fared much better at home, especially under John Calipari. Kentucky has won 27 straight home encounters, including 26 in a row at Rupp Arena under Calipari.  The streak, which includes a 70-60 win over UNLV at Memorial Coliseum in 2009, is the third longest home winning streak in the nation, behind Kansas (68) and Duke (29)

LEXINGTON — Kentucky football coach Joker Phillips had every reason to believe the Wildcats were going to beat Auburn. The Wildcats recovered from a dismal showing in the first half and rallied from a 14-point deficit and Phillips was sure the team’s defense would pull through after limiting the Tigers to a field goal with seven minutes remaining in the contest. However, Auburn escaped with a 37-34 triumph over the Wildcats Saturday night at Commonwealth Stadium.

No one thought the Asbury College basketball team could compete with NAIA Division I championship contender Georgetown College Saturday, but the Eagles finished the first half in Georgetown leading the Tigers 31-29. The 75-55 final score may not have shown it, but Asbury (0-1) battled with Georgetown for most of the game before the Tigers (1-0) pulled away. "The first 30 minutes we looked really good," junior Matt Pittman said. "They showed their athleticism and pulled away at the end, but we represented ourselves and Asbury well.

Wake Forest defensive coordinator Dean Hood knows a thing or two about Clemson. "I know they're very good," said Hood, a former assistant coach under legendary coach Roy Kidd at Eastern Kentucky University. "They're one of the best teams in our conference and they probably do have the best offense going in the ACC. " Kentucky will play the Tigers in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 29 in Nashville. Although Wake Forest won the ACC title and earned a spot in the Orange Bowl, the Tigers were one of two conference teams to beat the Demon Deacons during the team's impressive 11-2 campaign this past season.

LEXINGTON ? Jodie Meeks hasn't been a major part of Kentucky's lineup overhaul lately, but it hasn't hindered his ability to contribute. Meeks, who has emerged as the team's top threat off the bench, scored 18 points, including 13 in the second half to help lead the Wildcats to a 70-63 triumph over LSU on Tuesday night, snapping the team's three-game losing streak. Like the rest of his teammates, Meeks was relieved to see the team's rare skid come to an end. "Nobody likes losing - that's a fact for anybody," he said.

LEXINGTON - Before they could realize what was happening, the Boyle County boys were out of the game. Paintsville pressed, pushed and pounded the Rebels from the outset, blowing open a tight game early in the second quarter Thursday and rolling to an 82-50 win in the Fifth Third Bank Classic at Lexington Catholic. "They are absolutely the kind of team I wished my team looked like. Talk about not falling away from the basket, not one time they don't," Boyle coach Ronnie Bottoms said.

TAMPA, Fla. — Princeton senses what a difficult challenge it has against No. 11 Kentucky today. However, the Tigers certainly seem ready for the NCAA Tournament East Regional test.  I really like their point guard (Brandon Knight). He's a young kid, a freshman, but he's a fantastic shooter and runs the team well,” said Princeton coach Sydney Johnson. “Terrence Jones is an incomparable talent. He's an inside-out kid, very aggressive, knows how to score, plays with a bit of fire, so those are the two kids that stuck out. “They've got great role players and they're very well coached, and that should come as no surprise.

Beating Missouri could be a NCAA Tournament resume-building win for Kentucky on Saturday. However, Missouri coach Frank Haith says UK is not the only team battling to try and get into the tourney. “I think we need the same thing, too. I think we're all trying to improve our resume,” Haith said Thursday. “I'm not looking at it in terms of what we need to do to build our resume, but we've got to try to continue to fight like we're not in, either, and we need a great quality road win, and we haven't had that yet. We're right in the same boat with those guys, too.” Missouri is coming off a signature win over Florida, but still is 19-7 overall and 8-5 in Southeastern Conference play - or one game behind UK¿in the conference.

Asbury was no match for Georgetown as the Tigers cruised to a 120-79 victory last week. Phillip Morrison led Asbury with 26 points. Asbury (8-4) ran into a much more athletic team in Georgetown and it showed. The Tigers dominated the boards, clearing 28 more than the Eagles. Georgetown had as many offensive rebounds (21) as Asbury had total rebounds. Asbury also turned the ball over 20 times while the Tigers did only six times. Both teams shot well from the field, the Eagles hit on 47.5 percent of their shots and the Tigers on 56 percent of theirs.

Beating Missouri could be a NCAA Tournament resume-building win for Kentucky on Saturday. However, Missouri coach Frank Haith says UK is not the only team battling to try and get into the tourney. “I think we need the same thing, too. I think we're all trying to improve our resume,” Haith said Thursday. “I'm not looking at it in terms of what we need to do to build our resume, but we've got to try to continue to fight like we're not in, either, and we need a great quality road win, and we haven't had that yet. We're right in the same boat with those guys, too.” Missouri is coming off a signature win over Florida, but still is 19-7 overall and 8-5 in Southeastern Conference play - or one game behind UK¿in the conference.

LEXINGTON - Nerlens Noel is used to getting shoved around in the post. That's why he didn't blink when Auburn used an aggressive approach against the Wildcats Saturday at Rupp Arena. In a contest that featured 40 personal fouls, two technical fouls and one ejection, Noel and the Cats held their composure and notched their fourth consecutive victory and seventh win in the past eight games with a 72-62 triumph over the Tigers. Although the physical nature of the contest effected the flow of the contest, Nerlens wasn't surprised by Auburn's game plan.

LEXINGTON - Nerlens Noel is used to getting shoved around in the post. That's why he didn't blink when Auburn used an aggressive approach against the Wildcats Saturday at Rupp Arena. In a contest that featured 40 personal fouls, two technical fouls and one ejection, Noel and the Cats held their composure and notched their fourth consecutive victory and seventh win in the past eight games with a 72-62 triumph over the Tigers. Although the physical nature of the contest effected the flow of the contest, Nerlens wasn't surprised by Auburn's game plan.

Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari isn't worried about the Southeastern Conference standings, although his Wildcats are on the brink of first place. Minutes after learning of league-leader Florida's 80-69 loss at Arkansas earlier this week, Calipari wasn't giddy about the Gators' setback, which pulled his squad within one game of first place in the conference standings. He also apparently wasn't aware of Florida's loss after his Wildcats dismantled South Carolina, 77-55 two hours later.

The starter's gun on Lincoln County's cross country season officially sounded Saturday in Louisville at St. Xavier's 2012 Tiger Run.  Elite cross country runners from Kentucky and neighboring states tested their mettle in the large meet, with 624 of the region's best varsity athletes taking on the course at Louisville Champions Park. Lincoln did not have a team on course in either the boys or the girls varsity run, but the Lady Patriots and Patriots were represented in the races, with Alex Bunch and Brian Carlson both lacing up their running shoes for the opener.

I'll readily admit that my favorite golf tournament to watch is the British Open that starts Thursday. There's nothing better than waking up early in the morning, turning on the TV and watching the wind, weather and course play havoc with scores and make the world's best players have to be both creative and a bit lucky to win. Steve Siebold, a former professional athlete and a mental toughness coach who works with professional athletes, is the author...

It's a new season in the Southeastern Conference. The league officially welcomed two new members - Missouri and Texas A&M - last Sunday, expanding the conference from 12 to 14 teams. It marks the first time the league has added two new members since Arkansas and South Carolina joined the conference in 1992. Missouri makes its move from the Big 12 into a steady league that features traditional football powerhouses Alabama, Florida, LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, Georgia and South¿Carolina.

June 14, 1986 The Winchester Little League City Championship Game will be played Saturday, June 21 at 7 p.m. at Lykins Park. Each year, the Little League pits the winners of each division and the runnersup in each division against each other in a season-ending championship game. This year, the A’s and the Cubs are on track to meet for the city championship while the Tigers and the Red Sox are expected to meet for the third-place trophy. Mr. and Mrs. Sam Ratliff, of Longmont, Colo., arrived Thursday for a visit with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Cole, Estes Drive, and his mother, Mrs. Bruce Ratliff, West Lexington Avenue, and other relatives here.

David Crowe struck out 12 batters to lead the Dodgers to a 3-2 win over the Orioles in a Major League game Thursday at Lykins Park. Caleb May connected on a pair of doubles and added a single for the Dodgers, who tallied two runs in the second inning and scored the game-winning run in the eighth inning. Chandler English had a pair of singles, while Tyler Howard fanned 11 batters for the Orioles. Major League 9-10 year-old division The Angels crossed the plate three times in the first inning and added two more in the fourth and held on for a 5-4 triumph over the White Sox. Will Marsillett had a double and pitcher Alex Kretzer struck out seven batters in four innings of work.

TAMPA, Fla. — Princeton senses what a difficult challenge it has against No. 11 Kentucky today. However, the Tigers certainly seem ready for the NCAA Tournament East Regional test.  I really like their point guard (Brandon Knight). He's a young kid, a freshman, but he's a fantastic shooter and runs the team well,” said Princeton coach Sydney Johnson. “Terrence Jones is an incomparable talent. He's an inside-out kid, very aggressive, knows how to score, plays with a bit of fire, so those are the two kids that stuck out. “They've got great role players and they're very well coached, and that should come as no surprise.